During the Green Week in Berlin, the “Krone” spoke between farm stands with our Minister of Agriculture Norbert Totschnig (ÖVP) about the farmers’ protests, fully slatted floors and cheap meat…
“Kron”: Farmers are on strike in Berlin, and a EUR 360 million agricultural stimulus program has recently been launched in Austria. What distinguishes our ‘agricultural landscape’ from that of Germany?
Norbert Totschnig: What we are currently seeing on the streets of Berlin – thousands of farmers with their tractors – cannot be overlooked or ignored across Europe. These images are in motion. I fully understand the German farmers. If a hard-working professional group does not receive the appreciation it deserves and politicians do not set the right preconditions, they will protest, as in Germany. Unlike Germany, we in Austria clearly support the farmers’ achievements. In Austria, agriculture is specifically supported and relieved. For example, we have significantly increased the national agricultural budget. Another difference with our neighboring country: in Austria, farmers are directly represented in the federal government. This underlines the importance placed on the provision of a variety of local quality foods.
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
